Meek riders need not apply for King of the Motos

Only the toughest endure.

Off-road endurance racing is a brutal sport. Rarely, though, does an enduro require the skill and toughness necessary to complete Ultra 4 Racing's King of the Motos. To give you an idea of just how difficult the Johnson Valley, California event is, consider the attrition rate: Over 70 riders qualified for the 2014 running, and only 25 finished the race.

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Competitors start with a 40-mile high-speed desert run that must be completed within an allotted time, after which they're given a chance to work on their bikes before the second stage. Then, in what the King of the Motos program describes as a "land rush start," riders speed into the second 40 miles of the race. Havoc ensues, however, as stage two is covered in rocky terrain that would be hard enough to hike over, let alone ride on.

Crossing the finish line requires a combination of high-speed Baja-style riding and technical, rock-hopping prowess. See the insane action of the 2014 King of the Motos for yourself below.

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